1. Loving Lately

    June 18, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    As the weather heats up, I’m bracing myself for Summer {just 2 days away}! with drinks that I enjoy but also hydrate and cool me off at the same time.

    Coconut water

    amycoco

     

    This is my favorite brand at the moment because it’s the only one I can find at my market with the pulp but really, I’m cuckoo for coconut water so any one will do in a pinch.

     

    Any fruit infused Kombucha

    img-thing

     

    {Strawberry Serenity is my favorite flavor right now}

    Watermelon slushies, Kale & Blueberry Smoothies and you can’t forget about water!!! I’ve always enjoyed water with some fresh lemon spritzed in but I’m really enjoying sliced cucumbers swimming in my glass lately.

    Fotor0619112340 Thanks, #Tastemade !

    photo 2 Our veggies!  A variety of tomatoes, kale, squash, and cucumber.  Our peppers, potatoes, melon, and zucchini haven’t come in just yet but still, I’m excited!

    photo 1 This quote ;)

    What are you loving lately?

    Love,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

     

     

     

     

    Categories: Life | 6 Comments

  2. Weekend Bits

    June 17, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    Days like yesterday can be so bittersweet for those who have lost their mother’s/father’s and my heart goes out to all of you.  To a very special someone, I know that your pops is winking down at you, beaming from ear to ear because you’ve done him proud.

    It makes days like yesterday even that much more special for me.  My family is the entire world to me and the fact that we can break bread, share laughs, and just be near each other makes lovely days like yesterday so worth working hard and trying harder, day in and day out.  I love you so much, Daddy!  Crazy plant obsession and all (he’s a mad scientist with a green thumb).

    IMG_9618 Daddy’s day menu of grilled squid, galbi, shrimp cocktail, kimchi, bean sprout and spinach banchan (side dish), lettuce wraps, fruit, and cheesecake.

    Even though my baby brother’s weren’t there to physically celebrate with us, we were wrapped in love and laughter (the latter being aided by second, third, and even fourth helpings by daddy)!

    IMG_9612 Cake Batter fro-yo after dinner because when it comes to food, we don’t mess around.

    IMG_9492 To back up the weekend, I woke up extra early to prepare a Korean breakfast for my parents and it was only 2 hours later, I realized pops wasn’t going to be there.  Needless to say, Mama and I had more than enough mackerel, kimchi, anchovies, veggie stir fry, and miso soup to go around between the both of us.

    IMG_9529 A mid day snack of oyster-jeon.

    IMG_9512 My baby harvest of mulberries and tomatoes (midday snack, round 2)

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    J’s very special pasta for dinner.

    IMG_9550 and a big honkin’ eclair for moi for dessert.

    IMG_9568 I spent an entire day dedicated to the pool and apparently forgot about breakfast (shocking)!

    IMG_9555 Lunch of veg burger and roasted local veggies.  The burger came with a smoked tomato, NC hoop cheddar, spicy pickled cucumbers, and poblano garlic aioli.

    IMG_9542 Dinner of bone-in ribeye, twice baked potatoes, and green beans.

    Nom, nom, and nom.

    Love,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

    Categories: Life | 36 Comments

  3. Strawberry Marshmallow Frosting

    June 14, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    I made a batch of brownies the other day that looked pretty naked.  I figured I could take the easy route and dust with some powdered sugar but a quick scan of my fridge and pantry produced marshmallow fluff and strawberry jam and so, this strawberry marshmallow frosting was born!

    4.8 from 4 reviews

    Strawberry Marshmallow Frosting
     
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    Ingredients
    • 1 c room temperature, unsalted butter
    • 2 c marshmallow fluff
    • 1 c sifted powdered sugar
    • 1 ts vanilla extract
    • ¼ ts fine salt
    • ½ c seedless strawberry jam (optional)

    Instructions
    1. Cream together your butter and fluff until nicely well blended and fluffy.
    2. Begin sprinkling in your powdered sugar, periodically scraping down the sides of your bowl.
    3. Tip in your vanilla, and salt.
    4. Lastly, blend in your jam.

    This frosting would also be fun to spread on sugar cookie cut outs, s’mores cupcakes, or even, a jiggly puff cake by my friend, CakesByChoppA!

    For the love of frosting!

    Love,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

    Categories: Recipes Sweets Videos | 25 Comments

  4. Summer Grillin’

    Yogurt Spiced Chicken

    June 13, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    With Summer rapidly approaching (June 21st), you can’t help but envision BBQ’s and alfresco dining with a generous portion of grilled meat. Along side the conventional dogs and patties, I also enjoy including some chicken, especially this yogurt spiced chicken. The yogurt gets penetrated really well with the spices and makes for an incredibly juicy and flavorful chicken. The powers of yogurt are both delicious and wonderful. You can whip up something savory like this, make parfaits like my friend Sav from EatNowCryLater did or make some light, refreshing (not to mention almost fat free) garlic yogurt dressing or moist and tender honey banana bread.

    How to Make Yogurt Spiced Chicken {Recipe}

    5.0 from 5 reviews

    Yogurt Spiced Chicken
     
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    Ingredients
    • 2 lbs chicken
    • 1 c full fat yogurt
    • 2 tb chili powder
    • 1 tb smoked paprika
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • Salt and pepper

    Instructions
    1. Combine yogurt, garlic, and spices.
    2. Pour over chicken and allow to marinate for at least an hour (preferably over night).
    3. Bring your chicken out about 20 minutes before grilling to allow it to come to room temperature.
    4. Grill over high heat and only flip once.

    How easy is that?

    Happy grillin’!

    Love,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

    Categories: Health/Healthy Meats Recipes Videos | 21 Comments

  5. Weekend Bits

    June 10, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    {aka food holiday} but on second thought, I live my life as if it’s a perpetual food holiday! ;)

    Baby brother was in town for a short while and I made sure to fatten him up (as he’s one of those starving artists/college students) and sent him packed with goodies too!

    1

     

    Family dinner, recipe here.

    2 Family dinner, take 2.  Recipe here.

    3 A to-go meal for daddy’s road trip, recipe here.

    4 Similar recipe here.

    5

    6

     

     

    Cajun food + live jazz!

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    11 Seafood + homemade oreos for my cousins graduation…

    and speaking of cookies, you can’t forget about dessert!

    9 Recipe here with homemade mochi.

    10 Mango mochi ice cream.

    12 Snacks to nibble on while watching the new Star Trek.

    13 And the most gigantic candy bar that baby brother left behind to punish indulge me.

    Weekend chuckle:

    IMG_9319

     

    Oh so true.

    IMG_9365 Roses to make me happy

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    and beauty to punctuate the weekend…our state bird in my parents back yard and daddy’s baby citrus :)

    I hope y’all had a beautiful weekend as well!

    Love,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

     

    Categories: Life | 33 Comments

  6. Japanese Cheesecake

    June 7, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    My love of cheesecake has been pretty well documented on this blog. (Berry Cheesecake, Mango Cheesecake, Red Velvet Cheesecake, Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries, Key Lime Cheesecake Milkshake), so it’s not too much of a stretch that I would love the fluffier Asian version of it as well. Light, airy, soft and as fluffy as clouds. These are all the proper adjectives that come to mind when describing this beauty.

    How to Make Japanese Cheesecake {Recipe}

    5.0 from 4 reviews

    Japanese Cheesecake
     
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    Ingredients
    • 8 oz cream cheese
    • 4 tb butter
    • ⅓ c cream
    • Zest of 1 lemon
    • 6 eggs, separated
    • ¼ ts cream of tartar
    • 10 tb caster sugar
    • 5 tb + 2 ts cake flour
    • 3 tb cornstarch
    • Optional: cocoa or matcha powder or powdered sugar to dust the finished cake with.

    Instructions
    1. In your first bowl, gently heat your cream cheese, butter, and cream. Whisk constantly and set aside to cool.
    2. When it’s cool, fold in yolks, cake flour, and cornstarch.
    3. In your second bowl, beat your egg whites. When they get frothy, add in your cream of tartar and gradually sprinkle in your sugar. You want to achieve soft peaks, meaning the eggs have become tight and shiny and when the whisk is removed, the edges stand up but softly curl downwards.
    4. Fold your second bowl into your first bowl, using soft strokes but incorporating thoroughly.
    5. In a springform pan lined with parchment, wrapped twice in foil, and set inside of another pan, pour in the batter. Prepare a water bath (pour in hot water half way up the sides of the pan). Bake for 70-80 minutes.

    Notes
    I highly recommend using full fat cream cheese and dairy here.

    Dreaming of clouds & cake,

    Love,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

    Categories: Cakes/Cupcakes Recipes Sweets Videos | 31 Comments

  7. Busy Days

    Lemon Curd Pie {5 minutes/no bake}

    June 5, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    Ever have a string of weeks that whiz-whirl-dash?  It’s like no matter what pace you’re going, that to-do list just isn’t getting shorter.  On the bright side, you feel generally productive when you finally get a moment to breathe.  On an even brighter note?  My incredibly easy lemon curd pie that comes together in a flash so you don’t have to neglect dessert even on your busiest days ;)

    The Easiest Lemon Curd Pie Recipe (5 minute/no bake)

    5.0 from 4 reviews

    Lemon Curd Pie
     
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    Ingredients
    • ¾ c fresh lemon (or lime) juice + the citrus zest
    • ¾ c sugar
    • 3 eggs
    • ½ stick unsalted butter
    • Prepared pie shells
    • Whipped cream

    Instructions
    1. Stick everything in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals, whisking constantly. In about 4-6 minutes, it should be nice and thick. Strain through a fine mesh sieve.
    2. Pour into pie shells and refrigerate to cool/set.

    Love & Lemons,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

    Categories: Pies/Tarts Recipes Sweets Videos | 33 Comments

  8. Weekend Bits

    June 3, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    I spent a great deal of time in the great outdoors this weekend.  Though it was lovely, it wasn’t without some battle scars.  I currently have about 2 dozen mosquito bites decorating the entire length of my body + a very pronounced spider bite on my arm.

    1 We walked the trail into the greenway but got too hungry to make it in deeper to see the swamp.

    2 We found this little guy that we tucked away safely.

    3 And even went outside to enjoy a dinner of grilled yogurt spiced chicken (video to come), grilled corn, warm flatbread with tzatziki and hummus, raw veggies, wild rice, and berry salad/ice cream for dessert.

    I also got some new jalapeño babies, seed potatoes, and discovered mulberries in the backyard that I can’t wait to turn into jam.

    IMG_9165 Here is my weekend haul.  Original cost: $54.  My cost: $13 {though, it should have cost me about $8 but I picked up some extra things}

    IMG_9250 2 weekends in a row with crab legs = win!

    IMG_9251 Garlic ginger clams & raw oysters with plenty of zesty cocktail sauce.  Yum!

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    Grilled galbi.  My favorite way to enjoy these?  Rice and plenty of kimchi.

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    I got a great deal on some organic chicken and turned them into sweet vidalia onion and honey sriracha chicken wings. IMG_9252 Sesame balls for dessert (as well as ice cream three times, angel food cake, chocolate chip cookies…)

    Mama and my baby brother also returned from their travels to Seattle and Vancouver to visit with my other brother and brought me back

    photo 1

    photo 2

     

    and a cookbook from my other brother’s new…fiancée!  Needless to say I was overwhelmed and overjoyed.  In my head, he’s still the kid brother I used to watch Peter Pan with for the biiiillionth time *tear* Congratulations, Daniel!  I’m so happy that you found your one.  I wish you a world of happiness and joy.  I can’t wait to meet her and have her be part of the family!!!!

    I spent the weekend with my loved ones, sharing food, and sharing some great news.  How did you spend yours?

    Love,

    Your happy-stuffed-itchy,

    Squishy Monster ^.~

     

    Categories: Life | 29 Comments

  9. Squid, Take II

    Squid Soup 오징어국

    June 1, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    Daddy grew up on the water so naturally, he ate a lot of seafood growing up.  There isn’t much that he won’t consume if it comes from the sea and I followed suit and am a huge fan of seafood myself.  One of his favorites has got to be squid.  Growing up, we had a deep freeze full of them, among mackerel, anchovies, shrimp, and so forth.  I always made jokes about how I could just go fishing in the freezer so it’s to go without saying, we eat squid often and when we do it’s as a squid stir fry or this bright and vibrant squid soup.

    How to Clean Squid {Squid Soup Recipe} 오징어국

    5.0 from 1 reviews

    Squid Soup 오징어국
     
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    Ingredients
    Stock
    • 3-4 c water
    • 2 c shrimp shells
    Soup ingredients
    • ½ c Korean radish
    • ½ sliced onion
    • ½ c cabbage, bell pepper, carrots, leeks, etc
    • 1 cleaned/cut squid
    • 2 tb fish sauce
    • 1 ts sesame oil
    • 1 tb Korean red pepper flakes
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • ½ ts ginger
    • 3 green onions

    Instructions
    1. To make the stock, bring your water and shells to a rolling boil for about 15-20 minutes. Strain it through to collect the shells and set your broth aside.
    2. In the same pot, toss in your veggies, squid, fish sauce, sesame oil, pepper flakes, garlic, and ginger. Give everything a mix and set aside for 15 minutes.
    3. Set your pot on medium-high and re-introduce the broth to the pot. Just bring it to a bubble (you don’t want to over cook squid). It’s ready when the squid slightly curls and turns completely white.
    4. Turn off the heat and scatter in your green onions.

    Wishing you a fabulous weekend!

    Love,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

    Categories: Korean Food Recipes Seafood Soups Videos | 29 Comments

  10. Another Easy Ice Cream Video

    Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream

    May 29, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    My friends stare at me with wonder when they check out the limited kitchen equipment/utensils in my arsenal.  I’m a minimalist at heart and can’t stand clutter and this translates into the kitchen as well so I never think to purchase an ice cream machine.  It seems heavy and bulky and just one more thing to clean and have sitting on my counter, not to mention, nearly all of my kitchen tools were donated or picked up second hand.  I’d much rather spend that extra money on more food, you see.  So, I bring you my strawberry rhubarb ice cream, created with no more than a blender or food processor, local fruit, coconut cream, and honey.

    Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream Recipe (No machine/eggs)!

    5.0 from 7 reviews

    Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream (No Machine/Eggs)
     
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    Ingredients
    • 1½ c coconut cream
    • 3 oz strawberries
    • 3 oz rhubarb
    • ½ c honey

    Instructions
    1. Cook off your fruit and honey. Bubble and boil until it thickens and softens the fruit.
    2. When your fruit mixture cools off, tip that and your cream into a blender/processor and blitz until smooth.
    3. In a dish lined with parchment/wax, pour in your blended mixture. Cover and allow this to set in your freezer overnight. (You can also freeze in an ice tray to make it easier to work with later).
    4. The next day, set our your frozen base and soften slightly. Toss in chunks to your blender/processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Scoop it back into your dish and allow it to firm up a bit. Scoop and eat!

    {Last years easy strawberry ice cream}

    I scream, you scream!

    Love,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

    Categories: Comfort Foods Gluten Free Recipes Sweets Videos | 48 Comments

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    Welcome to The Squishy Monster!

    Here, I'll share the stories of my on going love affair with food as well as step-by-step tutorials/cooking videos featuring original recipes. I'm a firm believer that despite our differences, our one commonality as humans? Food.
    I'm 100% Southern & 100% Korean. My name is Angela and my friends call me The Squishy Monster.

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